A description of the book, The New Learning Commons. Loertscher, David V, Carol Koechlin, and Sandi Swaan. The New Learning Commons: Where Learners Win! Reinventing School Libraries and Computer Labs. Hi Willow Research, 2008.

Information Commons and Independent School Libraries: Opportunities for Excellence

I have served as Director of Library and Academic Resources at the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts for over a decade. I am committed to facilitating exceptional library service for all types of libraries through consulting work and participation in national and international library organizations, and I am passionate about strategic planning, life-long learning, writing and libraries.

What is an “Information Commons” (IC)? What, if anything, could such an entity do for an independent school library? For nearly two decades colleges and universities have experimented with combining the departments of information technology, media services and the “traditional” library. These efforts have resulted in the development of information commons. Is this combined IT/Media/Library model appropriate for K-12 schools? Do current school library programs already embody this kind of integrated teaching and learning, or are there new components we should consider regarding 21st century school library service? Is “Information Commons” merely a new term for the same traditional library services, window dressing rather than substantive change? Even if it is simply a new name, is it useful?